A lot of literary activity took place under the Kushanas. Kanishka was a great patron of learning and his court included Asvaghosha, a philosopher, poet and dramatist who wrote Buddha Charita, Saundarananda and Sariputra Prakarana.
Buddha Charita is a biography of Buddha and Saundarananda is a fine example of Sanskrit kavya. Eminent Buddhist writers like Nagaijuna, Parsva and Vasumitra graced the court of Kanishka. Nagarjuna was a great exponent of Mahayana Buddhism.
He wrote Paramita SutraOShastra Vasumitra wrote Mahavibasha Shastra. Charaka, one of the great authorities on Ayurveda and the writer of Charakasamhita, was Kanishka’s court physician.
Also at Kanishka’s court as his minister was Mathara, a politician of great ability. These and other members of the court like the Greek engineer Agesilaus “played a leading part in the religious, literary, scientific, philosophical and artistic activities of the reign”.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Kanishka was a great builder and adorned Mathura, Kanishkapura, Peshawar and Taxila with magnificent buildings, monasteries, statues and sculptures. A relic of this period is his headless statue and the works of art found in Mathura.